Friday, December 11, 2009
12/10 - MORE INFO...?
I had Ben G. and three members of his party aboard on Thursday. But the day started out a bit wacky. And I learned something. That I'm going to pass on to you.
Ben got lost. But then again, he didn't know he was lost. He booked his trip, we talked on the phone several times. And I thought we covered it all. He came in for a wedding from Minn. On the phone I tell everyone who isn't "down the street local" to go to my maps and directions page, http://www.mapquest.com/maps?address=%5B4810-4999%5D+Ocean+St&city=Atlantic+Beach&state=FL&zipcode=32233&country=US.
Which is a Mapquest.com link, showing where to meet me, and also where you the driver can plug in your hotel address, grandma's house address, whatever, and then hit "take me to Capt Dave". And print the directions, it gives you. I tell everyone, to utilize everything I have on my web site. It's all there.
To make a long story a bit shorter. Ben was lost. He called me at 8am, I was hoping to depart around 7:30am, and was sitting in the water for over a half hour already. He said, "we're near..... blablabla...."
I had no idea of where he was. And thought he was lost somewhere in Atlantic beach, because he said he was staying at the Comfort Inn at the beach, I believed.
The out come was, he was in Fernandina! And was driving around up there, LOST. Not even lost in Jacksonville-Duval County. The crew ended up, going back to their hotel....on Atlantic road/blvd/street in Fernandina(?) to pick up a GPS one crew member had. Then, they plugged in 4870 Ocean Street Jacksonville, and the GPS brought them all the way down A1A, to the ferry and then to me at the Mayport Boat Ramp. IT WAS NOW 10:00AM.
Needless to say, we lost the last of the falling tide, that I was so counting on. The wind was blowing NW 15, it was realllllllly COLD, they managed 2-small Specks, and about 7 or 8 small Yellowmouth Trout on a really slow incoming tide while float-rig fishing, and we didn't get back till 5:30pm. And we had fun. So a 6 hr charter turned out to be a 12 hour day, for me. I was up and out the door at 5:30am. Which wasn't the big deal, the big deal is that our fishing is TIDAL......It's that important to depart the dock, when I say.
If I knew they were coming down from Amelia Island in the first place, I could have directed him, and picked him up at the Sisters Creek Boat Ramp.
But the point is; I have all needed information on my web site. PLEASE UTILIZE IT.
Which brings me to the next subject.
When I do these reports and the weather's great, and the fish are chewin the keel of the boat. And I write these words here: IT'S GO TIME.....NOW!!
That actually means, now. That week, in the next few days, before the next front, while the tide is good, etc. In the winter months in J-ville Florida. The huge difference between, October and January as an example, is the closeness of the "cold fronts" coming down from Freezin' Town USA. (Aka: The rest of the country.)
NOVEMBER, is one of my absolute TOP Months when it comes to wackin and stackin lots of good size Speckled Trout. (Just look at some of my previous reports this month....were you on board?)
If you look at it in "reality world". Between these holiday and the work weeks. The average person maybe, able to actually go fishing one day out of 30. The whole month of November.
And then, in December that number may not even exisit at all, unfortunately. That's why these holidays are not on top of my favorites list, by no means. Too me, this time of year means No Sweating, No long Boat rides, Shrimp that stay alive, and lots of big fat Trout, toss in a Red, and Sheepshead for good measure.
Each year is different. I know, this year the big bite of Reds, Yellowmouth Trout, Specks, and jumbo Croakers, didn't even happen on the same spot that was all out mayhem, on the last of a falling tide, not a 1/2 mile from the dock, last October.
So, being flexible. is the name of the game, and a way of life for me.
My entire web site, it's been refined over the course of 13 years. And yes, I've probably been doing reports for the same amount of years. So I believe, these too are quite "honed". Giving YOU all the information you'll ever need, to make a decision on where, when, and how to go about...FISHING with me.
And something else I believe, is that more people read these reports that have their own boat, and fish around here themselves, than do the people this entire blog is dedicated too....and that's POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.
Many folks email me, asking what's going on. And I just email them back a link to this blog. Which is the same link that's atop each page of my web site. Right there, for the world to click on.
The moral of the story is; I view other charter sites myself. And usually do not find the abundance of information contained here or at http://www.captdaves.com/ (which this page is the fishing reports link at captdaves.com by the way.)
I did get an email one time from a guy, who said he was reading my Google Blog, and wondered if I knew of a local charter guide. Since reading these pages, he was impressed with all the info.
Can you image my initial thoughts? I emailed him back and said...."I am the guide. That's my reports blog!" And it's funny...actually, because I never heard back from him. I guess he was only impressed, for that moment.
Captain Dave Sipler's Sport Fishing
904-642-9546
charters@captdaves.com
JacksonvilleFishingReports.blogspot.com
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